Practice Education PgCert

Mode

Duration

Attendance

Start date

Part time

1–2 years

Flexible

January, May and October

Choose Kingston's Practice Education PgCert

This course, for registered social workers, will enable you to gain Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) currently held by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). It is ideal if you would like to develop the next generation of social workers by teaching them during practice placements. It will enable you to progress through the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) levels and develop your leadership skills. The course is aligned with Chief Social Workers' Knowledge and skills statements for practice leaders and practice supervisors.

This course is a well-established programme with a strong professional reputation. It has been developed in partnership with agencies in south-west London and Surrey and users of social work services.

What will you study?

The programme starts with preparing you to work with a social work student on first placement (Stage 1). You will develop a practice curriculum for the placement and learn how to manage a placement, help the student learn and how to assess their achievement. You will put this into practice by providing a 70-day placement to a social work student. You will then reflect on your practice and evaluate your practice curriculum as part of the assessment for the first module.

In Stage 2, the second module, you will have the experience of providing a 100-day final placement to a social work student. There is a strong focus in this second module on developing your reflective supervision skills.

If you have significant experience in practice education, or you have taken an Enabling Others' Learning (Social Work) course you may be able to accredit your prior learning and experience (RP(E)L) and join the Stage 2 module directly.

Assessment

For both modules trainees are assessed in practice by a Practice Assessor (a Stage 2 qualified Practice Educator) and are required to produce a portfolio of practice evidence including: a Practice Learning Agreement, Induction Programme, Midway and Final Report on the student, examples of a teaching activity, direct observations of the student by the trainee practice educator, direct observations of the trainee by the PA and feedback from the student, tutor and line manager.

There are slightly different requirements for the modules that will be explained to you by your course tutors and are described in some detail in the Module Handbooks. In addition both modules require trainees to produce critical analyses of their development as Practice Educators and Professional Development Plans.

Course structure

Please note you can apply for both modules at the same time or sign up for one module at a time.

Core modules

Practice Education Stage 1

Practice Education Stage 1

This module equips registered social workers to undertake the responsibilities of a Stage 1 Practice Educator (Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Students who complete this module successfully will be able to supervise, teach and assess social work degree students up to but not including the final assessment prior to qualification. At this stage they may contribute to the last placement but not take full responsibility for assessment or act as the practice educator on a day-to-day basis. Students undertaking this module are required to undertake a practicum which entails acting as a Stage 1 practice educator to a degree in social work student on a first placement (70 days).

This module is only available to registered social workers with two years or more post-registration practice experience. It is targeted at social worker/experienced social worker level.

Practice Education Stage 2

This module equips registered social workers to undertake the responsibilities of a Stage 2 Practice Educator (Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS) of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Students who complete this module successfully will be able to supervise, teach and assess social work degree students up to and including the last placement and to work with ASYE candidates. In effect, these practice educators will have the authority and capability to recommend, on the basis of appropriate evidence, that the social work students are fit to practise at the point of qualification. The module includes practice assessment.

This module is only available to registered social workers with three years or more post-registration practice experience and who have completed Practice Educator Stage 1 or equivalent. It is targeted at experienced social worker level.

You will have the opportunity to study a foreign language, free of charge, during your time at the University as part of the Kingston Language Scheme. Options currently include: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

We aim to ensure that all courses and modules advertised are delivered. However in some cases courses and modules may not be offered. For more information about why, and when you can expect to be notified, read our Changes to Academic Provision.